Christians Urged to 'Light Up' for Poverty
Hundreds of thousands of Christians are being invited to "light up" beacons of hope for the world's impoverished communities through a week of prayer.
U.K.-based Tearfund is asking Christians to take part in One Voice 2011, a worldwide week of prayer focused on social justice issues and ending global poverty.
The aid agency is urging Christians to pray for people still suffering in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, which struck January last year, as well as thousands of refugees displaced by post-electoral violence in the Ivory Coast, and flood victims in Pakistan.
Tearfund Chief Executive Matthew Frost said: "One Voice 2011 hopes to make an incredible difference to the world's poorest people, those suffering social injustice and the effects of natural disasters."
"As Christians, when we engage with God in prayer, we re-focus our hearts on the mission Christ calls us into - to love our neighbours, to reach out to people living in poverty and care for those in need," he said. "When we as the people of God around the world 'light up' like this – united as one global movement – together – we light up the darkness."
One Voice is being held in partnership with 24/7 Prayer, and many participating churches will be setting up prayer spaces that are open around the clock throughout the week from Feb. 27 to March 6.
Tearfund has produced resources to help Christians reflect on some of the most urgent social justice issues.
The 'One Voice' movement has a Twitter page at twitter.com/onevoiceprayer where key prayer themes will be Tweeted and re-Tweeted to encourage Christians to pray.
